Canada’s much-anticipated summit with the European Union begins today after months of speculation around how a new alliance between the two bodies will take shape.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made headlines last month when she publicly invited Prime Minister Mark Carney to grow the Canada-EU relationship, floating the term “associate member” in a speech. Some countries have pushed back on that label, and Canadian officials have called the partnership an “alliance for the future.”
Carney has pushed for closer ties with global partners while Ottawa and Washington spar in a trade war that has dragged on throughout U.S. President Donald Trump’s term.
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Work, study and research exchange
Von der Leyen says she’s working to “deepen Canada’s engagement” in Erasmus+, the EU’s student-exchange program. She also wants Canada to be more involved in Horizon Europe, which co-ordinates funding for research and innovation.
She added, “We are working together on skills and qualifications so that professionals can work more easily on both sides of the Atlantic.”
‘Association without accession’
Von der Leyen repeated the term “associate member” in her opening remarks, though sources say that particular phrasing has caused some friction within the bloc, the German ambassador told CTV News. Carney himself has endorsed the title “alliance for the future,” but stressed the name is less important than the substance of the deal.
“We both want to bring our relationship to the highest level possible. And this is why we are discussing the idea of Canada becoming the first associate member of the European Union,” said von der Leyen.
She called the proposed status for Canada “association without accession.”
Canada’s part in EU history
Von der Leyen has taken the podium for an inaugural address. She started her speech with a story about Jean Monnet, whom she called “a young Frenchman (who) arrived in Canada to sell cognac” in 1906.
Monnet was struck by the collaboration he saw between people from different backgrounds, von der Leyen explained. “No one thought about limits, he later wrote,” she said.
Monnet is credited as a forefather of the present-day European Union. Referring to his time in Canada, von der Leyen said, “It could even be argued that it would later help to change the course of European history.”
Monnet is credited as a forefather of the present-day European Union. Referring to his time in Canada, von der Leyen said, “It could even be argued that it would later help to change the course of European history.”
This is ‘grand’ theatre: Poilievre
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called the two-day summit a distraction and a “grand theatrical meeting.”
“For the next two days, we will be distracted again from the cost-of-living crisis with wall-to-wall media coverage on yet another grand theatrical meeting to sign a bunch of meaningless declarations filled with big words (catalyze, anyone?) and promises to meet again to talk more. No one’s mortgage or grocery bill will come down,” he wrote on X.
He said Carney should instead focus on getting all EU members to sign on to the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), Canada’s existing deal with the bloc.
To date, 10 of the 27 EU member states have not ratified CETA.
'We have never felt closer'
Von der Leyen used both phrases -- "associate member" and "alliance for the future" -- in a social media post Wednesday night.
"Rarely have I looked forward to a summit this much. An ocean separates Europe and Canada. Yet we have never felt closer," she wrote.
"We have a new ambition: bringing Canada closer to us than ever before, as Associate Member of the EU. And we want to take our unique partnership even further. With an Alliance for the Future, we will stand together and respond to a world of growing rivalries. Montreal, we're about to write a new chapter in our shared history."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen issues a statement on the Large Scale Review at European Union headquarters in Brussels, Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Harry Nakos)
Renewed relationships, greener economies
Bob Rae, former ambassador to the bloc, said Canada’s partnership pursuit is not about replacing its existing ties with Washington.
“This is all in addition to the substantial relationship we have with the U.S.,” he told CTV Your Morning. “When we look at our trading relationships, we need to expand them around the world.”
Asked about Europe’s tightening import rules on carbon emissions, and the associated costs they could incur on Canadian suppliers, Rae said “Canada would be wise” to embrace them.
“They think that the journey to sustainability is one that they are still supporting,” he said, adding “The outliers are our friends in the United States” and that the global economy is growing greener.
FILE: Bob Rae speaks to reporters at the United Nations headquarters. . THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Quebec's leader absent
Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon will not attend the summit, which takes place in Montreal, citing concerns that Quebec’s interests will not be represented without an official opportunity to speak.
“In the context of this summit, the federal government has decided to exclude Quebec from the discussions that will take place there,” reads St-Pierre Plamondon’s letter, obtained by CTV News.
Opposition leader Charles Milliard, who heads the Quebec Liberal Party, criticized the premier’s decision to skip the summit.
“Diplomacy requires building relationships and seizing opportunities to defend our interests. Not sulking because we don’t have a microphone,” he wrote on X.
“Diplomacy requires building relationships and seizing opportunities to defend our interests. Not sulking because we don’t have a microphone,” he wrote on X.
Germany hesitates on ‘associate member’ term
In an interview with CTV Power Play on Tuesday, German Ambassador to Canada Matthias Luttenberg said his country has long supported Canada deepening ties with Europe, but there are worries about what to call the arrangement.
“If you come up with a new concept in the European Union, and you propose something, be it the Commission or somebody else, then of course it takes some time to reflect for all 27 member states,” Luttenberg told guest host Graham Richardson.
“I think we have been a little surprised by the announcement, which doesn’t mean that we cannot agree on it,” Luttenberg also said, adding Germany has other concerns because it uses the term “associated membership” in reference to the bloc’s relationship with countries like Ukraine, for example.
Carney, meanwhile, has cautioned against putting too much emphasis on the nomenclature. Speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill on Tuesday, he said: “What matters is the difference that it will make to lives of Canadians.”
When is the deal coming?
European officials say the exact details of an agreement will not be finalized this week, but that they’re hoping to hammer out those details of Canada’s new relationship in the 27-member bloc for an official announcement next year.
The officials made the comments in a background briefing to reporters ahead of the summit, set to take place Thursday and Friday, also calling it one of the most important summits the EU has ever held.
The officials said the goal is to have the concept ready for endorsement by the next Canada-EU summit next year.
Prime Minister Mark Carney and President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola participate in a joint news conference at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
Business, tech and education
In a Wednesday briefing, Canadian officials said the summit will focus on deepening ties in areas like business, technology, defence, critical minerals and energy.
They said the government would only be tied to a financial commitment through the alliance only if it joins a program like Erasmus+, the EU’s student exchange program.
The officials did not say specifically which EU programs Canada might join. Carney has publicly indicated a desire for Canada to join Erasmus+.
That program has a budget of roughly $41 billion for its 2021-27 funding cycle.
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